Trentonian Editorial: Arbitrary indeed

On second thought, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett doesn’t like that NCAA punishment deal Penn State signed off on in the Sandusky case. He’s an ex-offico member of the Penn State board that agreed to the NCAA’s terms. Now he’s having belated qualms. Media outlets are questioning his motives. “Politics” is one of the nicer theories. Corbett is, of course, a Republican and therefore not entitled to any benefit of the doubt.

Whatever his motives, though, he’s right in saying the NCAA punishment is “arbitrary.” Whether he can make a legal case of it, that we’ll see. But whatever the prospects of the suit Corbett has filed against the NCAA, “abritrary” may be way too generous a word. The NCAA $60-million fine and four-year ban on Penn State bowl appearances penalizes the university and its students and athletes — not to mention such other innocent parties as the Pennsylvania taxpayers. (Penn State is a public institution.)

The $60-million fine was a figure the NCAA plucked right out of its, uh, well, you know what. And the fine fattens NCAA coffers. If judges got to levy fines of whatever sum happened to come to mind and then pocket the money, wouldn’t you be inclined to think the arrangement arbitrary?